mortelle

Mortelle is the feminine form of the French adjective mortel, meaning deadly or mortal. It is used to describe something capable of causing death or having a fatal outcome. The term derives from Latin mors, mort-, and entered French through the evolution of the adjective system that marks gender.

In usage, mortelle typically modifies feminine nouns. Examples include une maladie mortelle (a deadly disease), une blessure mortelle (a fatal injury), or une arme mortelle (a deadly weapon). It can also appear in phrases such as toxine mortelle (lethal toxin) or attaque mortelle (deadly attack). In many contexts, mortelle emphasizes the final or irreversible nature of death, especially in formal or descriptive prose.

Mortelle contrasts with mortel, the masculine form, which can describe a mortal being or broader dangerousness, and with fatale or létal, which are more common in certain fixed expressions or scientific terminology. While mortelle is well understood, it tends to be preferred when the noun it modifies is feminine, and it is less common in everyday speech than the more versatile pairs mortel or fatale.

See also: mortel, fatale, létal, deadly. Note that in French, choice among mortel, mortelle, fatale, and létal depends on the gender of the noun and the nuance of meaning, with mortelle specifically aligning with feminine nouns describing death-related fatality.